Rifle support

ABSTRACT

Some embodiments provide a support apparatus that is set-up and operated by one hand of an operator to stabilize the forend of a barrel section of an item used to engage in an activity. The apparatus is a single hand-operated rifle support that stabilizes the for-end of the rifle barrel. The single hand-operated rifle support includes an actuated rifle rest body, a set of adjustable length aluminum pole legs connected to a lower portion of the rifle rest body, a set of bearings that is each connected by a pin to one of the legs and the actuated rifle rest for pivoting the legs, a rifle rest connected to an upper portion of the rifle rest body, and a single plunger and pivot arm linkage in an interior portion of the rifle rest body.

CLAIM OF BENEFIT TO PRIOR APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims benefit to U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 14/146,684, entitled “Single-Hand Adjustable Bipod Rifle Support,” filed Jan. 2, 2014. The U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 14/146,684 is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

A wide variety of activities are enhanced when one or more items are used to support equipment or devices used in the activity. For example, a GPS stand in a car may support a GPS device that a driver uses for map viewing. Many equipment users want to use their equipment in a variety of different locations, and thus, such support items must also be mobile in order to optimize their utility. In some cases, equipment users plan to use their equipment in remote locations or in locations where accessibility is challenged. For example, a deer hunter may hunt from a tree stand twenty feet above the ground while a quail hunter may lie under a bush. Thus, such support items must be small and compact to allow users to carry and use the support items in any location.

While many support devices merely enhance the ease of use of the equipment being used or the enjoyment of the activity, some support devices are used to enhance the productivity of the equipment. In particular, items having long barrels typically need to be supported at the end of the barrel in order to provide sufficient stability to use the device. Examples of items that have long barrels include telescopes, telephoto lenses of cameras, scoping lenses, rifles, etc. Stabilizing devices typically require set-up before the equipment can actually be used. Examples of such stabilization devices include shooting sticks such as bipods and tripods. By using a stabilization device such as a tripod, for example, a photographer can minimize unwanted camera movements (e.g., camera jitter) by mounting the camera on the tripod. However, many stabilization devices require both hands to set-up and/or adjust. This is problematic for people who want to quickly stabilize long-barreled equipment with a support device while contemporaneously engaging in the activity. Also, many users need to make slight adjustments to stabilized equipment without dismounting the barrel of the equipment from the support device. Hunters who use rifles, for example, often need to hold the rifle in a set position for extended periods of time and/or move the rifle slightly to track animals. However, a hunter may only have one hand free to set-up and/or adjust a support device because the hunter is likely to keep one hand on the trigger. As many such support devices have multiple parts that need to be set-up, it is often necessary to use two hands. Thus, a hunter with one hand on the trigger is usually not able to quickly set-up and/or adjust a tripod or other support device. In these situations, hunters may not be prepared to shoot at critical moments when there is a clear line of sight to the animal.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Some embodiments of the invention provide a novel support apparatus that is set-up and operated by one hand of an operator to stabilize the for-end of a barrel section of an equipment item used to engage in an activity. The support apparatus of some embodiments is a single hand-operated rifle support that stabilizes the for-end of the rifle barrel. The single hand-operated rifle support of some embodiments includes an actuated rifle rest body, a set of legs connected to a lower portion of the rifle rest body, a set of bearings that is each connected by a pin to one of the legs and the actuated rifle rest for pivoting the legs, a rifle rest connected to an upper portion of the rifle rest body, and a single plunger and pivot arm linkage in an interior portion of the rifle rest body. In some embodiments, the rifle rest body is a cylindrical structure with an exterior that is graspable by a single hand and a hollowed out interior that includes the single plunger and pivot arm linkage.

In some embodiments, the set of legs are opened by a single hand of the operator to set up the single hand-operated rifle support while the other hand of the operator is simultaneously holding the equipment item being supported.

In some embodiments, the single hand-operated rifle support is a single hand-operated bipod rifle support. The set of legs of the single hand-operated bipod rifle support comprises two legs. In some embodiments, the two legs are spread open by operation of the single hand by the operator.

In some embodiments, the single hand-operated rifle support is a single hand-operated tripod rifle support. The set of legs of the single hand-operated tripod rifle support comprises three legs. In some embodiments, the three legs are spread open by operation of the single hand by the operator.

The preceding Summary is intended to serve as a brief introduction to some embodiments of the invention. It is not meant to be an introduction or overview of all inventive subject matter disclosed in this specification. The Detailed Description that follows and the Drawings that are referred to in the Detailed Description will further describe the embodiments described in the Summary as well as other embodiments. Accordingly, to understand all the embodiments described by this document, a full review of the Summary, Detailed Description, and Drawings is needed. Moreover, the claimed subject matters are not to be limited by the illustrative details in the Summary, Detailed Description, and Drawings, but rather are to be defined by the appended claims, because the claimed subject matter can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit of the subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having described the invention in general terms, reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 conceptually illustrates a perspective view of a single-hand adjustable bipod rifle support in some embodiments.

FIG. 2 conceptually illustrates a detail perspective view of an actuated single-hand adjustable bipod rifle support in some embodiments.

FIG. 3 conceptually illustrates a detail perspective view of a non-actuated position of a single-hand adjustable bipod rifle support in some embodiments.

FIG. 4 conceptually illustrates an exploded perspective view of a single-hand adjustable bipod rifle support in some embodiments.

FIG. 5 conceptually illustrates a side elevation view of a single-hand adjustable bipod rifle support of some embodiments with a housing element removed to show the support in a non-actuated position.

FIG. 6 conceptually illustrates a side elevation view of a single-hand adjustable bipod rifle support of some embodiments in an actuated position.

FIG. 7 conceptually illustrates a perspective view of an actuated single-hand adjustable tripod rifle support in some embodiments.

FIG. 8 conceptually illustrates an exploded perspective view of a non-actuated single-hand adjustable tripod rifle support in some embodiments.

FIG. 9 conceptually illustrates an exploded perspective view of an alternative use of the rifle support in some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description of the invention, numerous details, examples, and embodiments of the invention are described. However, it will be clear and apparent to one skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth and that the invention can be adapted to work for any kind of equipment support, including those used to support telescopes, telephoto lenses of cameras, and many other devices having long barrels.

Some embodiments of the invention provide a novel support apparatus that is set-up and operated by one hand of an operator to stabilize the for-end of a barrel section of an equipment item used to engage in an activity. The support apparatus of some embodiments is a single hand-operated rifle support that stabilizes the for-end of the rifle barrel. The single hand-operated rifle support of some embodiments includes an actuated rifle rest body, a set of legs connected to a lower portion of the rifle rest body, a set of bearings that is each connected by a pin to one of the legs and the actuated rifle rest for pivoting the legs, a rifle rest connected to an upper portion of the rifle rest body, and a single plunger and pivot arm linkage in an interior portion of the rifle rest body. In some embodiments, the rifle rest body is a cylindrical structure with an exterior that is graspable by a single hand and a hollowed out interior that includes the single plunger and pivot arm linkage.

In some embodiments, the set of legs comprise a set of adjustable length aluminum pole legs. In some embodiments, the adjustable length aluminum pole legs of the single hand-operated rifle support are opened by a single hand of the operator to set up the single hand-operated rifle support while the other hand of the operator is simultaneously holding the equipment item being supported.

I. Single Hand-Operated Bipod Rifle Support

In some embodiments, the single hand-operated rifle support is a single hand-operated bipod rifle support. The set of adjustable length aluminum pole legs of the single hand-operated bipod rifle support comprises two adjustable length aluminum pole legs. In some embodiments, the two adjustable length aluminum pole legs are spread by operation of the single hand by the operator.

By way of example, FIG. 1 conceptually illustrates a perspective view of a single-hand adjustable bipod rifle support 10. As shown in this figure, the single-hand adjustable bipod rifle support 10 includes a leg pivot housing 11, two legs 12, two leg pivot bolts 13, and a head assembly 14 with a rifle barrel support piece 16.

Turning to another example, FIG. 2 conceptually illustrates a detail perspective view of an actuated single-hand adjustable bipod rifle support 10. As shown in this figure, the single-hand adjustable bipod rifle support 10 includes components of the leg pivot housing 11 a, two legs 12, two leg pivot bolts 13, the head assembly 14, the rifle barrel support piece 16, a dovetail 18 of the rifle barrel support piece 16, a trigger 20, a locking pin 22, a button 24 of the locking pin 22, an actuating plunger 26, a bell crank 28, a pivot pin 30 of the bell crank 28, an actuating pin 32 of the actuating plunger 26, a pivot arm 34 of leg 12, and a lost motion slot 35 of pivot arm 34. Also, the components of the leg pivot housing 11 a are revealed and the head assembly 14 is shown in greater detail.

The single-hand adjustable bipod rifle support 10 is shown in this figure as being actuated. Specifically, the trigger 20 is depressed, which presses on the bell crank 28. The bell crank 28 pivots by pivot pin 30 when pressure on the trigger pushes against the bell crank 28, resulting in downward pressure on the actuating plunger 26. Then, when the actuating plunger 26 is pushed down into the leg pivot housing 11, the actuating pin 32 slides within the lost motion slot 35, which moves the pivot arm 34 in a way that spreads out the legs 12.

When the single-hand adjustable bipod rifle support 10 is not actuated, the legs 12 collapse to a closed position. By way of example, FIG. 3 conceptually illustrates a detail perspective view of a non-actuated position of a single-hand adjustable bipod rifle support. In this figure, the trigger 20 has been released (not depressed), thereby removing pressure on the bell crank 28, and allowing the actuating plunger 26 to move upward. When moved upward, the actuating 32 slides back within the lost motion slot 35, drawing the pivot arm 34 back up to close the legs 12.

In another example, FIG. 4 conceptually illustrates an exploded perspective view of a single-hand adjustable bipod rifle support. In this figure, the housing components 14 a of head assembly 14 are shown in greater detail, as well as other components, such a dovetail slot 36 of the head assembly 14, into which the dovetail 18 of the rifle barrel support piece 16 is assembled.

Additional examples and views provide more clarity as to how the components of the single-hand adjustable bipod rifle support work together. In particular, FIG. 5 conceptually illustrates a side elevation view of a single-hand adjustable bipod rifle support with the housing 11 removed to show several head assembly components 14 a in the head assembly 14, namely, a set of alignment pins 38 that fit within alignment slots 40 to prevent the actuating plunger 26 from rotating within the housing 11. In this example, the single-hand adjustable bipod rifle support is illustrated in a non-actuated position, with trigger 20 released (not depressed) and the legs 12 collapsed. Thus, the bell crank 28 is configured via pivot pin 30 to maintain an upward position of the actuating plunger 26. Additionally, the trigger 20 is connected to a detent component 55 (with several “teeth”) that presses against a spring 57. In this way, movement of the trigger 20 causes the detent component 55 to press against the spring 57. Also, after the trigger is depressed, the detent component 55 can be locked by way of the locking pin 22.

Turning to FIG. 6, the single-hand adjustable bipod rifle support is shown in a side elevation view in an actuated position. Here, the trigger 20 is depressed and the detent component 55 has pushed back against the spring 57. The bell crank 28 has pivoted along the pivot pin 30 to push the actuating plunger 26 downward, and with the alignment pins 38 remaining within the alignment slots 40, the legs 12 are spread out.

II. Single Hand-Operated Tripod Rifle Support

In some embodiments, the single hand-operated rifle support is a single hand-operated tripod rifle support. The set of adjustable length aluminum pole legs of the single hand-operated tripod rifle support comprises three adjustable length aluminum pole legs. In some embodiments, the three adjustable length aluminum pole legs are spread by operation of the single hand by the operator.

By way of example, FIG. 7 conceptually illustrates a perspective view of an actuated single-hand adjustable tripod rifle support 50. As shown in this figure, the single-hand adjustable tripod rifle support 50 includes three legs 12, a head assembly 14, a rifle barrel support piece 16, and a leg pivot housing 52 suitable for three legs. Also, as shown by the rotation movement 9 (dashed arrow lines), the head assembly has a freedom of rotation around the leg pivot housing 52. In some embodiments, the single-hand adjustable tripod rifle support has 360° freedom of movement.

Details of a single-hand adjustable tripod rifle support are illustrated in FIG. 8, which shows an exploded perspective view of a non-actuated single-hand adjustable tripod rifle support 50. In particular, the single-hand adjustable tripod rifle support 50 includes the three legs 12, leg pivot bolts 13, the head assembly 14, the trigger 20 (in a released position or non-depressed position), the locking pin 22, the actuating plunger 26, the bell crank 28, the pivot pin 30 of the bell crank 28, an actuating pin 32 of the actuating plunger 26, a pivot arm 34 of legs 12, the lost motion slot 35 for pivot arm 34, a dovetail slot 36 of head assembly 14, alignment pins 38 of actuating plunger 26, the leg pivot housing 52, a bearing 53, the detent component 55, and the spring 57.

Generally, the single-hand adjustable tripod rifle support 50 works by the three legs 12 providing overall stability to the rifle support. The three legs 12 are connected together by the leg pivot housing 52. Each leg 12 is 120° (rotational degrees) apart. Each leg 12 pivots on the bearing 53. The bearing 53 individually rotates on one of the leg pivot bolts 13 (also called “shoulder bolts”), and thereby connecting three cover pieces of the leg pivot housing 52 together.

The legs 12 rotate from a vertical angle providing a stable support and height adjustment for the rifle barrel support piece 16 (also called “rifle rest”). Each leg 12 uses a pivot arm 34 connected to the actuating plunger 26. Each pivot arm 34 includes the bearings 53 allowing the legs 12 to rotate. The pivot arms 34 move in unison via actuating pins 32 in the actuating plunger 26. Each pivot arm 34 uses a lost motion slot 35 to prevent binding during rotational leg movement.

That is, S≈rØ, not S=rØ.

The actuating plunger 26 actuates vertically up or down with no rotation about the vertical axis. Preventing rotation of the actuating plunger 26 are alignment pins 38 that slide in a feature or track (alignment slots 40, not shown in this figure) in the head assembly 14. This reduces binding of the bell crank 28 and maximizes force transfer and fine control for the person's finger(s) on the trigger 20. The bell crank 28 is connected with a pivot pin 30 to the head assembly 14, which forms a hand grip, allowing for motion between the trigger 20 and the actuating plunger 26. This give the person's finger(s) control of the angle of the legs 12 for stability and height adjustment of the rifle rest (i.e., the rifle barrel support piece 16, which is not show in FIG. 8).

The trigger 20 slides in a feature or track in the head assembly 14. The spring 57 behind the trigger 20 may be utilized to keep the legs 12 in the inboard position. The spring 57 also provides positive feel and sensory feedback to the person's finger(s). The leg 12 outboard position can be locked in a position controlled by the person's thumb by using the locking button 22. The spring's 57 normal setting is to lock the legs 12. Detents or teeth features 55 in the trigger 20 and a detent or teeth features in the locking pin 22 stop motion of the legs 12 through the pivot arms 34, actuating plunger 26, bell crank 28, and trigger 20.

The locking pin 22 can be pushed from either side for a left hand person or a right hand person. The spring's 57 unrestrained position puts the locking pin 22 (and locking button 24, not shown in this figure) in a middle location. A person's single hand holding the hand grip of the head assembly 14 uses the thumb to move the locking button (not shown) of the locking pin 22, thereby compressing the spring 57 and freeing the teeth to allow the trigger 20 to slide back and forth by way of the person's finger(s). Releasing the thumb from the locking pin 22 button engages the teeth and locks the leg angle and rifle rest height.

Most tripods and bipods used to support long-barreled equipment items are clumsy or awkward to use, seeming to require at least two hands to effectively set up or operate. As the above examples demonstrate, the advantage of a single hand-operated device support, such as a single hand-operated bipod device support, is that a user of a device having a particularly long barrel is not required to divert attention to set-up and/or adjustment of the single hand-operated device support, but instead, can maintain focus on the activity. For instance, a hunter can keep an animal in the cross-hairs of a rifle scope through a succession of actions, including spotting the animal while walking through the woods, stopping and scoping the animal, slowly laying down on the ground and setting up a single hand-operated bipod rifle support or a single hand-operated tripod rifle support on which to rest the for-end of the rifle barrel, and making different vertical or horizontal adjustments of the barrel in order to track the animal as it moves through the woods. The set up and adjustments are necessary in order to effectively track animals. Hunters with minimal experience (e.g., youth hunters) may in particular have a difficult time setting up support devices in general. Instead of fumbling around trying to set up the support, the improvement allows the hunter to focus on the animal. Thus, with one hand on the rifle and one hand on the single hand-operated bipod or tripod rifle support, the hunter can stay focused on the target while making small adjustments with the single hand-operated bipod or tripod rifle support in hand.

In some embodiments, the set of legs are automatically opened by the single hand of the operator. In these embodiments, the body portion of the single hand-operated rifle support is adjustable so that an adjustment of the body portion by the single hand of the operator causes the legs to automatically open. In some cases, the legs pivot open to a forty degree angle.

In some embodiments, a push rod is projected up or down to cause the legs to pivot on their own bearings. Force can also be applied to the body to adjust the height by spreading the legs out further than the initial fan out.

In some embodiments, the body is vertically adjustable to automatically open the legs of the support pod. In these embodiments, vertical movements cause the set of legs of the support pad to fan out to one of several predetermined configurations that create stability for a solid shooting rest. The vertical movements of the body can be based on the operator gripping the body and moving it up or down or force that is applied to the rifle to push the rifle rest down.

Automatic opening of the legs solves a number of problems. For example, a hunter can set up a single hand-operated bipod rifle support or a single hand-operated tripod rifle support and contemporaneously adjust the height of the single hand-operated bipod rifle support or the single hand-operated tripod rifle support through a single movement of the body of the single hand-operated rifle support (bipod or tripod) by the one hand operation of the user.

III. Additional Features and Benefits

Some tripod manufacturers market a single hand operating tripod by pulling or rotating a single leg. These legs are not connected in unison. The single human motion of pulling or rotating a single leg moves the tripod of these manufacturers in both the horizontal and vertical directions. The vertical and horizontal directions are not controlled independently. One human function/motion controls two directions. This is less intuitive, with less control and more time consuming for the hunter to set the rifle sights on the target.

In contrast, hunters will find the ability to control, with one hand, the height of the single-hand adjustable tripod rifle support to be intuitive and efficient. The single-hand adjustable tripod rifle support controls the vertical direction with one hand motion. The horizontal direction is controlled by the hunter's arm and/or shoulder motion. One human function/motion controls one direction while the second direction is controlled by a different single human function/motion.

While the above examples focus on bipod and tripod-based rifle supports, a person skilled in the art would appreciate that many configurations of the rifle support are possible and adaptations to the functional aspect of the rifle support can be made for other uses. Thus, different embodiments may optionally include or exclude different items than those described above. For instance, lubricant could be added to ensure free motion without binds. The rifle rest in different embodiments can be a custom rest for different equipment. For example, scoping lens rest or a set of side connectors for a telescope.

Examples of different uses of the rifle support are shown in FIG. 9, which conceptually illustrates an exploded perspective view of alternative uses 54 of a single hand-operated tripod rifle support 50. As shown in this figure, the single hand-operated tripod rifle support 50 can support a camera 58 or a telescope 60 be use of one or more adapter dovetail components 56 that connect to the dovetail slot 36 of the head assembly 14.

Different embodiments may optionally include or exclude different items than those described above. For instance, lubricant could be added to ensure free motion without binds. The rifle rest in different embodiments can be a custom rest for different equipment. For example, scoping lens rest or a set of side connectors for a telescope.

The above-described embodiments of the invention are presented for purposes of illustration and not of limitation. While these embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to numerous specific details, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the invention is not to be limited by the foregoing illustrative details, but rather is to be defined by the appended claims. 

I claim:
 1. A rifle support comprising: a rifle rest body comprising a graspable exterior and a hollow interior within which a locking and loading mechanism is utilized; a rifle rest attached to an upper portion of the rifle rest body, the rifle rest for resting a forend portion of a rifle barrel to stabilize movements of the rifle barrel; a plurality of bearings connected to a lower portion of the rifle rest body; and a plurality of adjustable legs that pivot out to an open position to stabilize the rifle barrel resting in the rifle rest.
 2. The rifle support of claim 1, wherein the rifle support is a bipod comprising two adjustable legs.
 3. The rifle support of claim 1, wherein the rifle support is a tripod comprising three adjustable legs.
 4. The rifle support of claim 1, wherein the adjustable legs pivot open from a closed position to an angle of approximately forty degrees.
 5. The rifle support of claim 1 further comprising a single actuating plunger that moves up and down to adjust the configuration of the legs by spreading the legs outward when the plunger moves down and pulling the legs inward when the plunger moves up.
 6. The rifle support of claim 5 further comprising a pivot arm connected to the actuating plunger and the adjustable legs, wherein the pivot arm pushes down on the legs when the plunger moves down to fan out the adjustable legs and pulls up on the adjustable legs when the plunger moves up.
 7. The rifle support of claim 1 further comprising a set of bearings, wherein each bearing connects an adjustable leg by a pin to the single actuating plunger and pivot arm to pivot the adjustable legs.
 8. The rifle support of claim 1 further comprising a trigger and a locking pin, wherein a person depresses the trigger to actuate the rifle support and fan out the adjustable legs.
 9. The rifle support of claim 1 further comprising a detent component in an interior portion of the rifle rest body, wherein the detent component is connected to the trigger and comprises a set of teeth that hold the trigger to a locked position.
 10. The rifle support of claim 1 further comprising a locking button that locks to the teeth of the detent component, thereby locking the plurality of adjustable legs in the open position to further stabilize the rifle barrel resting in the rifle rest. 